Railroad-switch.



No. 832,631. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

' e. s. SHAW.

RAILROADSWITGH.

APPLIUATION FILED APE. 26.1906.

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ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. SHAW, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE INDIAN- APOLIS SWITCH AND FROG COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

' citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification, refer- .ence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad-switches; and the essential object in view is to provide devices by which the switch-rails may be adjusted to and from each other and relatively to the switch-bar and may be held to different adjusted positions on the switch-bar.

In practice it is found that it often becomes necessary or desirable to shift one or both of the switch-rails on the switch-bar to take up or compensate for the wear or strains which have tended to make the switch-rails improperly fit up against the main rails.

To accomplish this result and to strongly and firmly hold the switch-rails on the switch bar is the object of my invention.

It consists of the organization and constructions hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my invention applied to a pair of switch-rails shown in conjunction with a track comprising rails and cross-ties, as usual; Fig. 2, an enlarged partial side view and partial section of my switch device; Fig. 3, a plan view of the same; and Fig. 4, a detail sectional view on the line a: :0 of Fig. 3, showing the rail-bracket, switch-bar, and adjusting-plate in cross-section.

At 1 is indicated a series of cross-ties sup porting the usual main rails 2 and a pair of switch-rails 3, also of the usual construction and adapted to be shifted to and from the main rails at their free ends, so as to perform the usual function of taking the train from the main line off to a siding or from a siding back to the main line. At 4 is shown the switch-bar operated and held by the usual throwing and locking devices, (indicated at 5.) This bar and the manner of using it is as usual with the exceptions now about to be stated.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the switch-bar 4 is slotted at 6 and that a bolt 7 rail-bracket 8, as also through an adjustingplate 9. By screwing down the nut on this bolt these several parts will be firmly bound together. The rail-bracket 8 is secured to the rail by one or more bolts 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and the adjusting-plate!) is also secured to the rail-bracket 8 by the bolt 7. Formore strongly seour ing the adj ustingplate by the bolt 7 and for keeping the parts more perfectly in line and together the ad justingplate is of substantially U shape in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4, and extends down past one edge of the switch-bar 4 and thence under it, as shown by the part marked 11. The bolt 7 passes through this part also. Then the'adjustingplate 9 extends along the switch-bara convenient distance, where it is fashioned to fit snugly against the bar, as shown at 12. The u per surface of this part is provided with ob ique serrations 13, which are neither in line with the strain on the adjusting-bar nor at rightangles to the line of such strain, but are in a direction which lies between these two exis extended through this slot .and through a tremes, as more clearly seen in Fig. 3. The 1 result is that strains exerted on the adj listingplate lengthwise of the switch-bar do not pull in line with the serrations, while the move ment of the adjusting-plate to effect an adjustment of the rail is also other than lengthwise with the. serrations. As a consequence the serrations oppose both movements of the plate, and thus they more firmly hold it, a washer 14, having serrations correspondingin position and size with those on the adjustingplate, being fitted thereto, as shown in Fig. 2, and held down upon the adjusting-plate by the bolt 15 and its nut. This bolt passes through the opening in the switch-bar 4 and is additionally secured by a brace 16, secured to the switch-bar by rivets 17. When the nut on the bolt 15 is screwed down hard, it forces the serrations of the washer 14 into the serrations 13 of the adjusting-plate and as a result secures the rail-bracket 8 by means of the bolt 7 and in turn secures the rail; but by releasing the nut on the bolt 15 the brace 16 will be eased up, so as to spring away enough to permit the washer 14 to be disengaged from the adjusting-plate. As the bolt 15 extends through an oblique slot 18 in the adjusting-plate 9, as seen in Fig. 3, it will be understood that by shifting that ortion of the adjusting-plate sidewise it wil travel on the bolt through the cam action of the slot 18, and thus move the adjusting-plate bodily lengthwise and adjust the rail back or forth, according to the direction in which the adjusting-plate is so shifted. Of course the nut on the bolt 7 is eased up before this adjustment is attempted, so that it may travel in the slot 6 during the adjustment. Thus it will be understood that with my improved device the switch-rails may be readily adjusted in or out on the switch-bar, while they are also firmly held and secured to the bar after effectingsuch adjustments. It will be noted that the line of strain on the adjusting-plate should the rail be forcibly struck by a car-wheel with the tendency to move it lengthwise of the switch-bar will be resisted by the obli ue position of the serrations, as well as by t e obliqueposition of the slot 18, while the lateral movement of the slotted end of the adjusting-plate is resisted also by the position of the serrations. Thus the adjusting-plate is held firmly both in the line of strain and in the line of movement it would have to assumein yielding to the strains which tend to move it lengthwise.

I claim 1. In a switch, the combination, with a switch-barand a rail, of adjusting and securing devices comprising an adjusting-plate having connection with the rail and bar, means to release the plate from the bar, and

means for moving said plate transversely of said bar,'when so released,to adjust the plate lengthwise of the bar.

2. In a switch, the combination, with a switch-bar and switch-rails, of ad'usting and fastening devices comprising a bracket secured to the rail, an adjusting-plate secured to the bracket, andmeans for moving said plate transversely of said switch-bar for adjusting the plate relatively to the switch-bar.

3. In a switch, the combination with a switch-bar and a rail, of adjusting and securing devices comprising an adjusting-plate having connection with the rail, and provided with oblique serrations and an oblique slot, a serrated washer engaging with the serrations of the plate, and a bolt passing -throu h the bar, said slot and said washer.

4. n a switch, the combination, with a switch-bar and a rail, of a bracket secured to the rail, an adjusting-plate secured to the bracket, a bolt to so secure them and on which the plate may swing, the plate having an oblique slot and oblique serrations, a bolt carried by the bar and extending through said slot, and a serrated washer carried by the bolt and engaging the serrations of the plate.

5. In a switch, the combination, with a bar and a rail, a bracket secured to the rail, a bolt assing through a slot in the bar and througll the bracket, an adjusting-plate held by such bolt and having an oblique slot and oblique serrations, a washer with similar serrations, a bolt passing through the bar and said slot and securing said washer, and a brace to additionally secure said bolt.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. SHAW. Witnesses:

E. O. HAGAN, HARRIET L. HAMMAKER. 

